Page 185 of Blood Feast

Lio touched her back.Mak and Lyros and I can take care of them. Could you find out what happened from Genie?

Yes. Will you veil our conversation? None of us are ready to tell the children what happened.

Lio nodded, and his magic enfolded her.

Cassia drew Genie aside and convinced her to sit down and accept a waterskin. She let the young woman drink and catch her breath before broaching the difficult questions.

“Did anyone hurt you?” Cassia asked gently.

Genie shook her head. “Thanks to you. How did you do that? With your magic?”

Cassia tensed before she could help it.

But there was no condemnation in Genie’s aura. “Did becoming a Hesperine give you that power?”

Cassia relaxed a little. “Plant magic was my affinity as a human, but the Gift made it much more powerful and gave it unique Hesperine effects.”

“I’ve been hearing all sorts of marvelous tales of the Black Roses’ deeds. Now I see why. When I saw your fangs tonight, I knew rescue had come.”

Cassia had thought she didn’t possess enough tears for what had happened here, but Genie’s words put a lump in her throat.

“Where is everyone else?” Genie’s tone was so grim, she seemed to already suspect the answer.

Cassia knew this would be the first of many times during this war when she delivered the news that the worst had happened. She was far more accustomed to facing the worst herself, rather than trying to help others face it. Would every time be this hard?

She sat down and put an arm around Genie. “I am so sorry. You and the children are the only survivors we’ve been able to find.”

Genie pressed a hand to her mouth. Denial filled her aura.

“Forgive us,” Cassia said. “We were too late.”

“No.” Genie took a deep, shaky breath. “You were just in time. If you hadn’t saved us with your spell…”

She was shaking. She bowed her head over her knees. Cassia gathered Genie’s hair back from her face and gave her sips of water, stroking her back.

“How did you get here?” Cassia asked.

“I came to run the refugee camp with your sister’s permission. She knows I need to be here for my people and the families need”—Genie’s face crumpled—“needed a lady to make sure the conditions were fit for women and children. The queen is the only one who understands.”

“Your family wanted you somewhere safe,” Cassia guessed.

“Of course.” Genie swiped at her eyes, and silent fury cried out from inside her. “When the enemy came, the knights putme down there as if I’m one of the children, not a woman responsible for these people’s lives.”

“It was wrong of them to treat you like a child. But at least the little ones had you with them.”

Genie’s gaze swept over her young charges. “We have to get them somewhere safe, but I don’t even know where that is now.”

“What happened here?” Cassia finally asked.

Genie looked at her. “Cordium.”

A hand closed around Cassia’s heart. “Reinforcements from the Magelands?”

“No. Seven full war circles of mages with siege engines, soldiers in the colors of at least three princes, and an army of Cordium’s infamous mercenaries. Not reinforcements. An invasion.”

Cassia’s pulse pounded. It couldn’t be.

After centuries of political and religious factors had stayed Cordium’s hand, after generations of Tenebrans had held their ground against the Magelands’ attempts to subjugate them, the time had finally come. Cordium had no more caution or mercy. They were here to win the Last War.

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